Um Well this Chapter is just under 6,000 words, so therefore you cannot yell at me for taking so long. Kay? Deal. I have many excuses, such as three week long history internals on stupidly dramatic New Zealand disasters, and getting creeped out by a movie thats set at my school about lesbian murderers that is more or less true. So anyway...
Your a dumbass, the book title was Swedish, yet you wrote they were speaking German. Why?
Simple answer, I got mixed up. I know the book is in Swedish, as a Swedish girl recomended it to me, but I got mixed up trying to remember its original language because she speaks German too.
What the hell Robin? Your insane!
Read the chapter to find out his reasoning, hopefully you'll get it. If you don't, feel free to ask more questions
Where did Raven learn German? (Even though the book is not in German)
Azarath. learnt everything she knows from that lovely dimension.
Raven seems too punk and slightly immature. Seems like your just writting how you would react in situations like school and with her friends.
If I was trying to live vicariously through a fictional character, my name would be Stephanie Meyer, and last time I checked, it isn't. As for being immature, Raven is a seventeen year old girl who just gained the ability to feel and was thrust into a new environment. I would think she would feel slightly unstable. She's being threatened, so why would she just sit in the corner and blindly obey an idiotic teacher/vampire? If you had lived in solitude for years(forced to), I don't think you would be thinking you wanted to be alone all the time again. And the emotions those monks were feeling would be a calm and peaceful, and the emotional climate where she is now is full of whiny hormonal angsty teens. Which are irritating.
One thing I absolutley deny is that Raven likes 'boring things'
How could anyone like something they find boring? Thats contradictive in itself. She likes things that involve her being on her own yet She does things that interest her, be in working on the t-car with Cyborg, reading or otherwise.
Here we go!
Raven Roth
" You're crazy." Rosalie stated simply, meticulously inspecting a strand of hair, possibly looking for split ends that would never appear. I gaped at Robin, shocked by the casual way he had spoken the works. For once, I sided with the bitchy blond. The thought of the Cullens staying at the tower was idiotic- at best.
"Have you learned nothing from being around vampires for the last few weeks? California, in case you've forgotten, is sunny." She continued mockingly, letting the strand of pure gold float down to rest over her shoulders again, joining the other waves of light. Robin scowled, his mask bending with his facial expression.
Before he could speak, Edward let out a small gasp, accompanied by the usual smoldering look he got when he was thinking particularly hard. This time though, instead of miles of black depression at the thought of losing Bella, there was a flickering of hope.
"It seems to me," Jasper said slowly, catching on to what the others and I could not grasp. "that the Californian sun would make it pretty difficult for Susanahh to plan an attack on Bella." I swallowed back sharp words of protest, waiting. There were a hundred reasons why that would not work, the top of the list being I didn't want Bella or Alice in my home.
"Exactly!" Robin nodded smugly. The look he got when someone agreed he was right about something insane like stalking Slade or trying to infiltrate H.I.V.E. Not surprisingly, the look didn't show up often because he was rarely given praise for those ideas. "Its makes perfect sense. The tower has plenty of space, and a few spare rooms. Unlike Forks it had a nightlife, so it wouldn't be seen as strange to go shopping at night, or stay out until the sun comes up. Half the towns human populace does the same thing."
"What about food?" Rosalie sneered, tossing her hair. Like me, for her it was suddenly the only point able to be argued. A lump of worry built up in my throat. What if this actually happened? What if they were everywhere, and I could never rid myself of vampires? The tower seemed loud and crowded with a grand population of five, and if that number doubled, I didn't know when or if I would be able to have time to myself, or meditate. That would be horrible, not just because I desperately needed to know why I had time-traveled, but also it was unsafe to let it happen again.
Beastboy looked upset. While it was okay that the Cullens few frequently off live animals to Robin, it was a different story altogether to him. The animals were people to Beastboy. He communicated with them, that I knew, and though I wasn't going to start consuming tofu anytime soon, I always felt guilt eating one of Cyborg's perfectly cooked steaks in his presence.
"The mountains aren't that far away-"
"And we can feed before we go." Edward said firmly, fixing Rosalie with a sharp look. Again I bit back protest. This wasn't my offer to revoke, and I couldn't deny Bella protection from creatures so much smarter and deadlier than her, simply because I didn't like her personality or choices.
"You're seriously considering it?" Rosalie demanded. Bella sat shell-shocked and motionless, though her neck was glowing red. She knew why Rosalie didn't want this- because she would rather Bella dead than part of the Cullens, plus I got the feeling she didn't like the attention. Yet for a shy girl, she seemed to get a lot of it.
Edward was stroking the side of her hand with his thumb, his golden eyes flicking from her face to Rosalie's, challenging her. Even Rosalie wasn't foolish enough to think Susanahh wouldn't bother Bella again, but that didn't mean she had to care.
"Of course I am!" Edward growled, for once sounding like a real vampire rather than a depressed male ballet dancer. His tone almost threatened. "I won't give Susanahh the chance to attack again while we are unprepared. The Titans are leaving with or without us. We are much stronger with them, and in Jump at least we can be sure she and Braxton will only strike at night. In Forks its too easy for them to move around whenever they want!"
"I think its a good idea." Jasper said quietly, though he seemed louder since everyone hushed to hear him. It was clear they respected his opinion on the matter, even Rosalie pursed her lips and listened for him to carry on. "Strategically, this will give us an advantage. We'll have more time to either prepare ourselves, or change Bella into one of us. Susanahh will be confused, and more cautious about her survelliance and attacks, obviously she is no amateur."
Emmett shrugged.
"Personally I reckon we should go and bring the fight to Susie, but I don't mind missing another graduation and I'd like to go somewhere with a nightlife for a change."
Bella snapped awake with a blink.
"Charlie... he'll never let me go away with you, especially if it means I won't graduate." She said, flushing red again as my eyes slid over to her.
"I'm so sorry Bella... I can't leave you at Susanahh's mercy. I won't leave you alone again." Edward said softly, as if they were the only two in the room. He reminded me of Malchior in a way, with all his grand promises. The only difference was, he seemed determined to keep them. Real pain flitted across his eyes when he spoke of her possible death, or leaving her alone.
I could feel a fight about to break out between Edward and Rosalie, and Bella about to have a nervous breakdown, and Jasper must have felt it too, for a moment later I felt a strong wave of calm hit my shields. How I wanted... to let it in. To feel how he wanted me to, at peace all the time. For a brief moment, I wondered what it would be like to be with Jasper all the time, him influencing me with soft feelings and positive emotions. I would be a completely different, happier, better person. He shot me a frustrated look but I dipped my head to avoid it.
"Bella, look. It was the mayor who called us here, but your father was the one who cleared it, on the condition we look out for you. If I talk to him, and explain this is necessary for your safety, he will let you come." Robin said, gesturing with his hands and leaning forward, eyebrows furrowed just over his mask. I knew it made the others uneasy, not being able to see his eyes.
Bella still looked terrified, and indulged in her habit of chewing on her lip.
The front door opened, and two people I had hoped never to see again walked through it, hands up in a sort of surrender. Emmett, Rosalie and Edward all instantaneously crouched down in defensive positions, hissing like wildcats, but a thousand times more dangerous. Jasper was up and had Dante's arms pinned behind his back, his killing face on. It chilled me, seeing his eyes large like that, his hands ready to snap bones, his mouth ready to suck up any blood left behind. A merciless killing machine.
But what was more chilling than that was how thrilling it was. How approving I unconsciously felt as my demon side instinctively recognized someone who would provide for me, someone who would be able to take care of me.
I jumped up, slower than everyone else bar Bella, and threw up and energy shield around my friends, and then the trembling girl on the sofa. Alice stayed where she was, waiting for the dust to settle.
"You can let go of him Jazz." She said a little impatiently. I felt Jasper's pain when she let slip the old nickname, and didn't blame him for tugging Dante's arms back further and twisting them a little. There was a sound like rocks rubbing together as if someone had tried to strike a flame. One more tug and they might come clean off. I wondered what had possessed this evil pixie to bring a newborn vampire to a house full of human blood.
Dante was clearly uncomfortable, but amazingly he didn't struggle. His eyes were the usual unsettling newborn-scarlet but, like every other vampire he was now stunningly good looking. A completely different person to the broken, bleeding, screaming man Jasper and I had saved.
"LET HIM GO?!" Edward roared, enraged. Bella jumped and cowered into the cushions, away from him. Alice and Edward always seemed in it together, but I supposed things were different when she put his humans life in danger.
Alice smiled slightly, looking especially tiny and innocent in a black lacy dress that managed to look like lingerie, and delicate, actual silver ballet shoes that made her movements seem even more graceful somehow. She stared at him, waiting, impatiently for him to read her thoughts.
For some reason, whatever he explanation was it didn't satisfy Edward.
"Useless theories are not to be tested out on Bella!" He growled.
"But its not a theory." Alice protested. "You just saw my vision? I knew she would be fine."
"Would you please tell us what's going on?" Emmett grumbled. Rosalie was frowning at Dante as if she were disappointed in him, but he didn't notice. He was too busy eyeing my shields, and me, with interest. I kept my hands, fingers sprawled out, up in front of me, controlling all the dimensions of my shield like a puppeteer controls his toys.
"Alice thinks Dante has a gift." Edward explained tightly, his shoulders stiff as he blocked Bella from view. "A 'sense' of some sort that makes him safe around humans." His tone was disbelieving.
I wasn't about to lower my shields, but I did sit down to listen, my hands still rigidly in place. My team mates did the same, not quite sure of the situation- they had less experience with vampires than me.
"When I went to talk to Dante, he kind of knew why I was there. and Rosalie- when you told him if he wanted to stay with us he had to drink animal blood, what did he say?" Alice asked earnestly.
"He accepted it." she replied carefully.
"Exactly, like he knew it would happen, and that it would be alright!" Alice exclaimed as if this settled the matter. I hated her. Dante smiled.
"Its just a feeling I got." He said, with a slight Canadian accent. He shook a matted dirty blond dread out of his eyes and grinned. A male model for a billboard on roughing it with style.
It was strange how little he was struggling, like the blood nor Jasper was bothering him. Almost too relaxed, like he was high. Jasper, even now, was having trouble resisting Bella and he had been practicing for decades. Maybe the thought of someone else killing Bella and drinking her blood had made temptation harder to fight.
"Let him go." Edward sighed, sitting next to Bella, though my shield was in the way. Bella let out a sigh of relief when I took it down, and the titans high-strung emotions calmed. They usualy took my opinion on magical matters as fact, and me lowering defenses made them feel safer than when they were actually protected in a way. Jaspers expression of rage and hunger didn't even change, and he showed no sign of having heard Edward speak. He was staring intensely at the back of Alice's head, like he could burn right through it.
"This morning Dante had this feeling that he would be fine around humans because he had already accepted he wouldn't be feeding from them, but I wanted to wait until I got a vision to be sure." Alice explained, worry etched onto her face as she gracefully turned and took in the sight of Jasper restraining her... new boyfriend?
Again the demon in me recognized that though his features were hard, murderous almost, he was still the most handsome man I had ever seen. Maybe it was the scars covering him, visible on the skin pulled taunt over the muscles in his hands.... or the knowledge. I had always been attracted to knowledge. And scars... I had many of those myself.
"Jasper? Let him go." I said, feeling compelled to speak to him. Almost like I wanted to know if he would pay attention when I spoke. I bit my tongue and tried to ignore the sensations shooting up my body when he did as I asked and met my eyes, roughly pushing Dante forward who of course caught himself before he could do anything resembling a stumble.
His wheat-coloured eyes lingered on me longer than was necessary. But maybe I was imagining things again, just as I had with Malchior.
"How does it feel?" Alice asked Dante in concern, flouncing over to him and grabbing onto his arm protectively.
Was Alice twisting the knife she had put in Jasper on purpose to help him get over her faster, or was she so in love already that she didn't notice what she was doing?
"Its burning, but I know I'm not goinna do anyting, because of Ali's vision and because I know I'll never taste anything but animals." He shrugged. "Its just something I know."
Ali?
"Its like a different kind of psychic ." Alice murmured, satisfied. "Like instead of seeing what will be, he just has a strong sense."
"I kinda had it when I was himan. I just knew what way to go, I thought it was just luck and a good sense of direction but maybe it was something more. I could go hiking for days without a map and always make it out okay, at least, until the other day." He laughed lightly, though his scarlet eyes briefly darkened as he remembered the pain.
I would have liked him if not for Alice, something that didn't happen often. He spoke softly, and seemed to be completely at peace with his new state.
Everyone seemed more relaxed now Jasper had let go. I sensed he was on edge still, not because Bella's life was still in danger but because Alice was here with her new lover, days after they had divorced. I felt the crumbled up letter she had sent me wedged in my pocket, and felt anger as well. This situation was so twisted. The scary thing was that most situations in my life were twisted, so this should be considered normal.
"I saw what Robin offered." Alice added as an afterthought, putting emphasis on 'saw' like she always did when talking about her visions. "And as far as I can see, Charlie will agree to it, with some persuasion."
Bella smiled weakly at her friend, but Edwards face was screwed up in what I recognized as disgust as he took in the thougts around him. Jasper noticed, and with a narrowing of his eyes he swept out of the room without a word. I had an urge to follow him, but couldn't do so without raising questions. Still I felt someone should go. No one should be alone at a time like this, Even after Malchior, which, in retrospect was much less painful than it would be to use your wife of half a century, Beastboys hug had given me some unlikely comfort. I was a loner, and so was Jasper, but that didn't mean we should be completely alone all the time.
As a child I had been alone, and look how that had turned out. Screw other people, and their assumptions. I got up at left the room, my footsteps sounding like thunder in the hushed quiet our absence had bought on.
By the time I reached the front porch and slammed the heavy front door behind me, Jasper was nowhere in sight. If he was running, I would never catch up with him. I sighed, closed my eyes, and tried to feel his aura around me.
Jasper Hale? Whitlock? Cullen?
I stood at the fringe of the forest, in the shadow of a large pine, and watched Raven come out of the house, her hair fanning out behind her in the wind.
I was momentarily shocked and off-balance that she of all people had come after me, but then realized I shouldn't be so surprised. We had spent the entire day together, and she felt what I felt.
A distressing thought. It was an unattractive notion that everyone knew how bitter I was at the moment. I knew Alice. I knew that in her slightly disturbed mind, she thought she was helping. Though salt burned, it also helped heal, or so she thought. 'Helping' me made her feel better, and made me feel like my insides were finally starting to decompose after all these decades. When had I stopped counting in years?
Raven walked towards the trees, her look impatient somehow, even with her eyes closed. Somehow she managed not to trip, an impressive feat for a human. With a sigh, they snapped open directly onto me.
"Were you just going to stand there watching me?" She asked scarcastically, stepping off the shingle of our driveway and onto the damp undergrowth of forest. I noticed she was wearing a pair of dark blue heel-less boots that I had never seen her wear before.
"I was considering it." I conceded. She said nothing and walked forward, passing me as she went deeper into the trees, stepping carefully over rogue logs and resilient clumps of weed.
"We need to get away from there. If I can still feel their emotions then you certainly can." She called out behind her in answer to the question I had not yet asked but had been about to. She was right, even from here I could feel them. Dante, despite his calm appearance, was bursting with excitement. Presumably because beautiful Alice had recently told him she would love him. Edwards disgust for the whole thing was foul and angry, but I was heartened by it somewhat. I had expected him to side exclusively with Alice.
Robin was feeling an unhealthy amount of lust for Rosalie, which he hid very well, and apprehension towards todays drama. I was confused. Wasn't it dangerous for him to be feeling this way, when his girlfriend was an empathic demon? Was she just choosing to ignore it? Maybe she felt too guilty about our kiss to talk to Robin about it.
We walked until the dregs of emotions faded, and I was left with my own rotting feelings and the blank wall that was Ravens emotions. She sat on a freshly fallen log, not decomposing like the ones around it. The tall canopy of trees overhead protected us from the light rain starting up. I could hear the faint whistle and dull smack as the droplets sailed down from the clouds and hit the leaves, though Raven wouldn't be aware of it until it started to drip down.
"People will be wondering why you followed me." I said, preferring to stand. She arched her right eyebrow skeptically.
"You mean you were wondering why I followed you." She responded in monotone, reading me easily. "You may have some sort of... charisma that makes me tell you things, but I can't explain my reasoning to you every time you ask."
"You mean you don't even know why you did it." I replied. Her face stayed impassive, but I could see she was fighting back a smile.
"Perhaps, vampire." She mused, pulling the sleeves of Alice's unworn sweater over her hands. All Alice's clothes were slightly too short for her, but I noticed how small her pale hands were.
"I do ma'am."
For some reason, her shoulders seized up for a second, and I was inexplicably hit with a sense of Deja vu.
"Did the Cullens ask you to lose your accent, or did you do it by choice?" She asked, her keen violet eyes locked on mine and her posture fluid again. A strange question to ask someone you apparently didn't like, after following them out into the woods. For the umpteenth time I wished she would take down her shield so I could tell how she really felt about me. On this rare moment I sympathized with Edward not being able to read Bella's mind. I felt in the dark without the use of my power, which over the years had become natural to me. If I lost it, it would be like losing my hearing.
"By choice, though I rarely talk in school so its not a large problem if I slip up."
Raven frowned.
"Tell me why you even bother going to school," For once she sounded to me like a real teenager, bored with something she perceived as pointless and curious to why someone else would think otherwise. "Its needed the at one time in a persons life, but doing it over and over..." School, to Raven, was unbearable, and she seemed a little horrified and fascinated that I would repeat it.
"To be with my family. And to keep up with appearances."
"But you enjoy it?" She asked, seemingly doubtful.
"Sometimes. Depending on the schools mood."
Raven nodded, understanding, other peoples moods affected mine directly.
"Now you have asked me two questions, may I ask you two questions?" I asked. I did not want to go back to the house. Alice would stick around until Carlisle came home so she could share the good news. That Dante could begin living with us, pretending to be Esmes visiting nephew or something of the like.
"Fine."
"Why does school rub you the wrong way?"
Pursing her lips, I could tell I had found an old wound.
"Because institutions have caged me my whole life. They make me remember things I would rather forget. They bring out a bad side of me."
I could tell that from her actions. Anytime she was at Forks high and a teacher questioned or asked something from her she became prickly and unreasonable, or so it seemed. Her responses had been gossiped about for the last few weeks, but at least it had kept the student body excited and admiring rather than depressed.
"What do you mean by caged?"
The use of the word implied no freedom. High school, while not an enjoyable experience for many, wasn't forced on people. If you really didn't want to go, no one could make you.
"Nothing. Where I was brought up, school was different." She answered briefly, looking away from me. I knew the question had just been answered as well as it could be for the time being.
"Second question. Why did you want so badly to get away from Dante when he first became a vampire?"
My mouth felt dry. I hadn't spoken this much to anyone in a long while.
Raven huffed slightly in her throat, barly barely audible, but clearly irritated, I had to admit she was doing a good job at keeping me distracted from Alice, intentionally or not. In her own way, this harsh sarcastic modern woman was sweeter than the sugary woman of the 1800's, also very unintentionally. But if I said it aloud, she would literally snarl and teleport me into another dimension, or at least thats what Beastboy seemed to think might happen if you pushed her too far.
"If I had known you would pick these questions, I would have made mine better." She scowled. "Fine I was avoiding him so he wouldn't recognize me and tell you all I was a Titan."
"You knew him?" I asked in surprise.
"No," she shook her head. "But he had a Californian Diver's license and the Teen Titans are infamous there."
"But he didn't recognize you." I mused.
"I guess he didn't pay much attention."
"If you're so infamous, why haven't I heard of the Teen Titans before?"
"Official stories on us are banned out of California." she said simply.
"Why, if you operate in public?"
"I thought you were only allowed two questions." She complained sarcastically. But then she sighed. "People have strong feelings towards their safety and that of their loved ones. We have enough trouble dealing with the safety of Jump, if everyone knew we'd get too many calls from out of state asking for help. And if we answered them, we'd always be being dragged off to small woodsy towns in the middle of nowhere, filled with vampires, shape shifters and the clumsy girls they're in love with." She said dryly.
"I can see your point."
There was something intriguing about the thought of watching her fight. I had seen displays of her power, but not in combat. If I went with Edward and Bella back to Jump City, I would get an opportunity to see it.
"When do you want to go back in there?" She asked, looking through the trees back towards the house. We were a mile away, but if I squinted I could see the kitchen window through the trees, and the vague outline of Esme. I blinked and she became clearer, baking something for the humans.
"Soon." I replied. I did not want Alice or anyone else thinking Raven and I were going along with her vision. The longer we stayed out her the more Emmett would hate Raven and the less guilty Alice would feel. Raven nodded as if she understood, and perhaps she did.
For a few minutes we were silent, the gentle rain getting heavier. I could sense she wanted to speak, but didn't want to break the peace. One thing we definitely had in common was our love of quiet. Words were cheap, but a tranquil moment was harder to come by.
"Edward knows," She said quietly, eyes flicking up. "Doesn't he?"
There were two things she could be referring too. One was her demon heritage. Two, was our kiss. So far we hadn't acknowledged it had taken place. Our relationship was transitioning from suspicious and resentful to a kind of understanding that we had sinned together, and admitting that kiss, passionate and desperate, didn't help anyone. I didn't understand what had come over me that day. Of course, I had felt this way before around other women, but never had I risked so much by acting.
I didn't want to tell Raven that the answer to both options was yes, Edward knew.
Thinking about it now was a bad idea, because I knew she could feel the small amount of lust that came with thinking about it.
She didn't want me. She hated vampires. Though she didn't hate me anymore, she hated my family, and this mission. She had 'people to save' and I did and would always get in the way.
"Yes. He knows all my thoughts. But he's a good man, he wouldn't betray secrets."
A blush spread across her cheeks. Clearly, she hadn't been thinking of what happened that day at all. I blinked at the sight of the blood flow. I had never seen her blush that dark before, nor had I been able to see someone blush without being tempted to bite into their neck since the 1800's. Though Ravens scent had rubbed off on the forest, it didn't smell like food. It was just a smell.
"Not even to Bella?" She asked, her voice, amazingly still monotone, it was disturbing to see someone so in control of themselves in some ways but not in others. I longed for that control. I ached for it. To not want to kill my brothers fiancee would be a blessing.
"Not even Bella." I promised, knowing that Edward telling Bella was less likely than Alice coming back to me, because it would make her too terrified to go near Raven or Jump City.
"Not even... Alice?" Her tone darkened and her eyes narrowed at the ground. For once, her anger was very attractive. Maybe it was because it was directed at Alice. Or maybe because her anger was mysterious and ran deep, and it was so erratic it reminded me of someone I couldn't put my finger on. My human memories were hazy. Maybe my younger sister? No, that wasn't quite right.
"He'll tell no one."
"Good." She muttered to her boots. Her cheeks were still faintly pink, a healthy, vital color compared to her pale grey neck.
Snap out of it Jasper!
How could I be with her? Despite Alice, and Raven's job, I wanted to forge a path ahead. With Raven, no matter how unlikely it seemed, I felt like I could have a future. Without her, everything was unclear.
I could kiss her again, and this time not run out of the room in shame and disbelief. I was supposed to be a gentleman, and no Whitlock had ever gone around kissing young women with no intention of being with them.
How did you ask a demon for permission to court his daughter?
"Time to head back." I said hastily. I couldn't go down that road, I didn't really know his girl, and the parts I did know were like sandpaper.
Standing and dusting herself off without argument, Raven fired me a dry look.
"Prepare for questions about what we were doing here today." She warned, walking ahead. I trailed along beside her, going at her painfully slow pace, fighting the urge to run. The speed of it usually helped me thing without distraction.
"From who?"
"Starfire and Cyborg." The Alien and the Robot. This sure was a strange situation.
"Not Robin?"
Her boyfriend. How could I have forgotten him before now? Here I was, spending copious amounts of time with someone else's lover, thinking of attempting a relationship.
Wait, lover? I glanced at her, seeing the way she hid under that sweater and loose jeans. I could certainly imagine her as... someone's lover from the way she had kissed me, but not Robin's. He was slow to defend her, though they had strong loyal feelings for each other, preferring to let her take care of herself. I couldn't see him, and I never had, kissing her. I didn't want to imagine her underneath anyone but me. She shivered in the cold and wrapped her arms tightly around herself.
"You don't really still believe he's my boyfriend do you?" She asked scornfully.
Believe?
"That was just a cover. I would have preferred to pretend he was my brother when he showed up, but he spoke first." she said, giving me a side-long glance, as if it were obvious and she couldn't believe I was stupid enough to think they had told the truth back then.
Though she had lied to me, and I had believed it, I could not help feeling like Alice and Dante wouldn't even bother me right now.
When you read and don't review, a kitten dies. And a cute one at that.